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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chip · current · lash · root · cap · rule · prune · kid

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. root — of a word
  3. chip — to eat
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. root — the cause
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chip — for betting
  11. current — happening now
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. current — electric
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. root — of a plant
  19. current — of water
  20. cap — a lid
  21. kid — child
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — a hat
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com